I Got Reincarnated as the Villain and Saved the World, but After the Ending I Was Betrayed and Exiled. I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life in the Frontier, but for Some Reason My Former Companions Started Chasing Me with Yandere Eyes… - 35

Chapter 35: Tia’s Feelings and Phantom’s Feelings

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The feast in the Pail Domain, which I had not visited in a long time, was nostalgic and warmed my heart. Not only was there a dessert centered around the region’s specialty apples, but also high-quality seafood and meat, and even my favorite—omelet rice. That was why I wanted to eat slowly and savor it…

“Phantom, I want to eat this one. Could you get it for me?”

“Phantom-oniisama, your injuries must still be bothering you, right? Here, please—say ‘ahh.’”

For some reason, Elena was sitting on my lap, while Ceres, seated beside me, was trying to feed me food she had taken with her fork.

You two!! You weren’t like this when we were traveling together to defeat the Demon Lord, right?

I glanced at Tia for help, but she only gave me a chilling smile and said.

“As expected of Master. You’re close not only with Elena-san but also with the Saintess-sama herself.”

Ange, meanwhile, was glaring at me with disgust as she appealed to Stella.

“Onii-chan has turned into a womanizerrrrrr!”

“…Not a womanizer. Phantom-sama, may I have a word with you?”

“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you…?”

Called over by Stella, I quietly apologized to Elena and Ceres, who looked disappointed, and stood up. Since it had been a long time since they’d last seen each other, the two of them probably had plenty to talk about, so I thought I might as well give them a space.

As I followed Stella—passing Amon, who was grinning creepily despite being ignored by Tia, and Solomon, who was stuffing herself while asking the maids about human culture—we arrived at my room.

“Nothing’s changed at all…”

The room was just as clean as it had been a year ago when I left. Nostalgia and happiness welled up inside me. It was as if the room itself was telling me this was my place, that I was always welcome to return.

“It’s not that it hasn’t changed. I’ve been making the effort to keep it from changing. But no matter what, small details will inevitably shift. What matters is deciding what to do with those changes.”

“…Thanks, Stella.”

Was it my imagination, or did her usually expressionless face soften into a faint smile? She looked straight at me and spoke.

“I don’t know the details of what happened between Phantom-sama and Henrietta-sama. However, I do know very well that Henrietta-sama supported Ange-sama as a good neighbor. So, I won’t ask you to go back to the way things were. But… Could you at least speak with her?”

“That’s…”

I faltered, unsure what to say. Sure, I had jumped to the wrong conclusion about Elena and Ceres. The two of them didn’t have any intention to exile me. But… Henrietta and Cain had attended the victory celebration. At the same time, the memory of her strained face when she swung her sword during battle came to mind.

“I know I’m being selfish to ask this of you, but… I think you won’t regret it if you talk things through.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Unlike this unchanged room, my relationship with her had changed greatly. But now, after meeting Aisha-chan, Tia, and everyone else—after learning to trust people again—I thought maybe I could at least consider it.

“I’m glad to hear that. Oh, and take this. Don’t forget. You’ll trouble the shopkeeper otherwise.”

Inside the leather pouch she handed me was the accessory I had ordered for Tia. For some reason, there was another identical one inside.

“It would have caused a scene if you’d given it there, so make sure you hand it over yourself. In fact, I’ll go call Tia-san for you.”

“As expected of Stella… You’re so thoughtful.”

“Fufu~ I am an excellent maid after all. By the way… Unlike Ange-sama, I don’t mind whoever you end up with, so long as it’s someone you’ve chosen.”

“Wait, what do you mean by—”

Without answering my question, Stella smiled meaningfully. She bowed, and left the room. A short while later, I heard Amon’s distant scream—“Gugyah!”—and the sound of Tia’s footsteps approaching. He probably tried to follow Tia and got taken down by Stella.

“Master… I heard you had something for me…”

Was it my imagination, or did her voice sound slightly tense? Tia’s cheeks were faintly flushed—perhaps from drinking—as she stepped inside.

“I wanted to give you this… Though, for some reason, there are two of them.”

“That’s because… I also wanted to give one to you, Master, so I had one made. It’s a present from cute little me. Aren’t you happy?”

When I took the two accessories from the pouch and showed them to her, Tia smiled mischievously. Did she know what the stone meant?

“Since it’s a special gift, could you put it on me?”

“Huh? Oh, sure…”

Tia turned her back to me and lifted her hair. The sight of her alluring nape and the faint sweet scent from her hair made me feel a bit strange, but I restrained myself and fastened the necklace around her neck.

“Ah… ♡”

Perhaps from the cold metal touching her bare skin, Tia let out an oddly sensual sound, and I couldn’t help but gulp down on invisible saliva. 

Calm down, me. I just came back to my hometown—getting aroused over a girl now would only make Ange look at me with disdain.

When she turned to face me, she puffed out her chest, proudly displaying the necklace.

“Thank you. Does it suit me?”

“Yeah. It suits you perfectly, like it was made just for you, Tia.”

“Of course. I am cute, after all. By the way, you know I’ve noticed you staring at my cleavage, right?”

“I-I can’t help it!”

I mean, the necklace was right above her cleavage! I literally didn’t have any other option! I had to look there!

“Master, you’re such a pervert. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped since I’m too cute. Now, let me put yours on next.”

“Wait! Tia-san… Your chest is pressing against me.”

“Well, yeah. I am pressing it against you.”

As she moved behind me and whispered in my ear, I became all the more conscious of her closeness. She was being unusually forward.

I have a bad feeling about this…

“Hey, did Stella say something to you?”

“Uh… Well… she said, ‘Since Master’s a beast, if you’re alone with him, he might pounce on you,’ so… I’ve been mentally preparing myself.”

The devilish air she had moments ago vanished, and her voice grew quieter and quieter. Her face was as red as the apples in Pail territory.

“I thought…I wouldn’t mind if it’s Master, but… This is going to be my first time, so I drank some alcohol to hide my nerves!!”

From what Tia was saying, she was basically telling me she wouldn’t mind doing that with me… Even though she was inexperienced, she’d decided to try to seduce me. That feeling made me happy—really happy. But…

“I want to cherish you, Tia. I don’t want to do something like that with only half-resolved feelings. So… Could you wait until I’ve sorted myself out?”

“…Promise me, okay? That you won’t do it with anyone else—like Ceres-san, for example.”

When I patted her head, she looked up at me from beneath her lashes, making my heart pound.

Damn it, if I’m honest, I do want to do it. It’s not like I’m not interested. But doing that before clearing my head would be dishonest of me. Call it a stubborn virgin’s code if you want.

“Yeah, I promise. Sorry if I’m being wishy-washy.”

“It’s fine. I already know you’re a coward. And if you’re not swayed by my charms, then no one else’s will work either. But… In exchange, can I ask you for one thing?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Tell me about you. What you were like as a kid, what memories you have of this domain… Things like that.”

And so, I told Tia all sorts of stories. About how Ange and I tried to sneak into an empty house for a test of courage and got caught by Stella. About how, after eating too many sweets, I was only allowed bread for a while. All sorts of silly little tales. Tia listened with a smile, and I spent a blissfully happy time with her.

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